Door locking device

ABSTRACT

A CHANNEL-SHAPED LOCK MEMBER IS SLIDABLE ALONG THE TOP EDGE OF A HINGER DOOR AND A PIN-SHAPED DETENT PROJECTS FROM THE DOOR FRAME INTO A CLEARANCE SPACE BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE DOOR. THE LOCK MEMBER IS PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN-ENDED NOTCH IN WHICH THE DETENT IS LOCKINGLY RECEIVED WHEN THE LOCK MEMBER IS SLIDE ON THE DOOR IN THE DIRECTION OF THE DETENT, THUS HOLDING THE DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION.

Nov. 30, 1971 H. c. ZEPF 3,623,268

DOOR LOCKING DEVICl'I Filed March 19, 1970 .l'. 7 Fl F G 2 I! .5 k. I I

FIGS.

I? WWW I FIG. 4. {'5 5b '0 INVENTUR H. C. ZEPF Afro RNISY 3,623,268 DOOR LOCKING DEVICE Harry C. Zepf, 405 Mariposa Drive, Ventura, Calif. 93001 Filed Mar. 19, 1970, Ser. No. 20,894 Int. Cl. Eb 65/06 US. Cl. 49-394 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A channel-shaped lock member is slidable' along the top edge of a hinged door and a pin-shaped detent projects from the door frame into a clearance space between the frame and the door. The lock member is provided with an open-ended notch in which the detent is lockingly received when the lock member is slid on the door in the direction of the detent, thus holding the door in its closed position.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in door locking devices, and the principal object of the invention is to safeguard against opening of a door by small children who can reach the ordinary door knob and this release the conventional latch which holds the door in its closed position.

This object is attained by the provision of a special locking device, supplemental to the conventional knobactuated latch, the special device being installed at the top edge of the door where small children are not able to reach it.

An important feature of the invention resides in that the special locking device may be quickly and easily locked or unlocked by grown-ups from either side of the door It is simple in construction, easy to install, and lends itself to economical manufacture.

, With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features which may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will,be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a hinged door and its frame with the locking device of the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lock member per se.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the reference numeral designates a horizontally swinging door mounted by hinges 11 at one side edge thereof in a door frame 12, the door being provided with a conventional latch 13 actuated by a door knob 14. The invention resides in the provision of a special locking device which safeguards against opening of the door by small children who can reach the door knob 14 and thus release the latch 13.

The special locking device of the invention consists of a substantially U-shaped channel-like lock member 15 which is slidably positioned on the upper edge portion of the door 10 and cooperates with a pin-like detent 16 nited States Patent 0 which is driven into the top member of the door frame 12 and projects downwardly therefrom into a clearance space 17 which usually exists between the frame and the top and outer side edges of the door.

The channel-like lock member 15 includes a pair of side walls 15a and a connecting wall 15b, and when the lock member is installed in position, the side walls 15a are disposed at the respective opposite side surfaces of the door while the connecting wall 15b is at the top edge of the door. The side walls 15a are provided with outturned free edge portions which constitute finger-pieces 18 for; sliding the lock member along the top edge of the door and in the plane of the door toward and away from the relatively fixed detent 16, it being noted that since the walls 15a of the lock member are disposed at the opposite sides of the door, the lock member may be actuated from either the inside or the outside of the door.

The connecting wall 15b of the lock member is provided at one end thereof with an open-ended notch 19, this being open in the direction of the detent 16, so that when the lock member 15 is slid along the top edge of the door toward the detent, to the position shown by full lines in; FIG. 1 and also in FIG. 3, the detent 16 is received in the notch 19 of the lock member, thus preventing the door. from being swung open. Accordingly, even if a small child should release the conventional door latch 13 by reaching the door knob 14, the door will still be held closed by the locking device of the invention which is located at the top of the door and cannot be reached by small children.

The locking device may be unlocked from either side of the door by a grown-up by simply sliding the lock mem-' ber 15 along the top edge of the door away from the V detent 16, as for example to the position shown by the dotted lines 15 in FIG. 1, where the detent 16 is disengaged from the notch 19 of the lock member and opening of the door is facilitated in the usual manner.

Although the locking device has been described andv shown as being applied to the top edge of the door, it may also be applied to the outer side edge, that is, the edge opposite the hinged edge, as long as it is located at a height sufficient to prevent it from being reached by small children. Insuch a modified arrangement, the lock member of course is slid vertically along the outer side edge of the door, rather than horizontally along the top edge, and the detent 16 is driven into the side member of the door frame adjacent the outer side edge of the door, rather than into the top member of the frame.

As will be apparent, the lock member 15 may be easily formed from sheet metal or plastic material, while the detent 16 may be a simple finishing nail, Thus, the device is very inexpensive and may be quickly and easily applied to doors offlfarious sizes.

What is claime as new is:

1. The combination of a door frame, a door hinged at one side edge thereof to said frame so that a nominal clearance space exists between the frame and the door, and a safety device for locking said door in its closed position, said locking device comprising a detent secured to said door frame and disposed in said clearance space, and a cooperating lock member positioned on an upper edge portion of said door for sliding movement in the plane of the door toward and away from said detent, said lock member being provided with an open-ended notch lockingly receiving said detent therein when the lock membet is slid on the door in the direction of the detent, whereby to hold the door in its closed position, said locking device being located in a position inaccessible to a small child but accessible to adults of normal height from either side of the door, and comprising a substantially U-shaped channel including a pair of side walls and a connecting Wall, said side walls being disposed at the respective opposite surfaces of said door and said notch being provided in said connecting Wall at one end of said channel.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that said lock member is positioned on the top edge portion of said door.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said side walls of said channel includes an outturned free edge portion constituting a finger-piece for sliding the lock member along the door.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said detent comprises a pin-like element driven into said door frame and projecting into the clearance space between the frame and the door.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

